The present invention relates to a sluice box or apparatus, for use in separating sediment by water flow, and in particular, to a sluice box which can be rolled up into a compact form for storage or carrying, and unrolled and folded for use.
The usual sluice box used by prospectors and the like includes a rigid structure having a riffled bottom member and a pair of sides rigidly secured to the member's side edges. With the sluice box placed in a stream bed, rocks, gravel and the like are carried by water flow over riffles in the bottom member, while heavier minerals such as gold collect on the downstream side of the riffles.
In modern prospecting, the prospector may need to carry the sluice box, along with his other supplies, a distance of many miles from the nearest road to the stream destination. With a view toward increased portability, modern sluice boxes are constructed of lightweight material, such as aluminum or rigid plastic, and may be disassemblable, for compact carrying into a number of component parts which may include brackets, small fasteners and the like. One problem associated with a disassemblable sluice box of this type is that the smaller components in the box tend to become misplaced with repeated assembly and disassembly. Further, the prospector must spend considerable time in disassembling and reassembling the box each time it is carried from place to place.
One object of the present invention is to provide a portable sluice apparatus which overcomes above-noted problems in prior art sluice boxes.
A more specific object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus which is formed as a single-piece, lightweight flexible article which can be rolled up for carrying.
A related object of the invention is to provide in such an apparatus, plural riffles which are dimensioned and longitudinally spaced for producing a regular interriffle nesting when the apparatus is rolled up.
The sluice apparatus of the present invention includes an elongate flexible mat having formed in a central portion therein, a plurality of longitudinally spaced riffles extending laterally with respect to the mat's long axis. The riffles define laterally extending ridges and channels on the mat's upper and lower sides, respectively, and are dimensioned and longitudinally spaced for accommodating a regular ridge-to-channel nesting when the mat is rolled up in one longitudinal direction.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the riffles have increasing lateral dimensions, and are spaced by increasing longitudinal increments, progressing in such direction. A pair of flaps flexibly disposed on opposite sides of the mat's central portion are foldable between folded-up positions to form the sides in the apparatus, and folded-down positions when the apparatus is to be rolled up. All components are formed as a single-piece molded article.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent when the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention is read in conjunction with the drawings.